How about you?
by titianna
Summary: Gabrielle and Xena have survived yet another battle, but there is always a price to pay.


Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Ren Pictures. No copyright infringements intended.

Subtext-haters beware, love to get some reviews, pls.no flaming...

**How about you?**

„Is it over?"

Xena helped her friend onto her shaking feet.

"Yes, it is over, Gabrielle, you have done well."

Xena checked the battlefield. Helpers were already carrying away the wounded.

"tis time to leave – we have beaten the warlord. In fact: you have beaten the warlord!"

"Yes I have."

Gabrielle shivered again. She felt no pride in her victory, just a foggy relief that the battle was finally over. She hardly noticed that Xena shoved her away, over sticks and stones to the nearest tavern.

She sank onto the hard bench and still tears were spilling down her face.

Xena felt sorry for her friend. It was not the first battle they had fought together but once in a while the horror of it all was too much for Gabrielle and she was too overwhelmed to function. And every time that happened, Xena felt sorry. She wanted to hold her companion, comfort her. At the same time she was afraid, that her comfort would feel shallow to her friend, because, after all, she still enjoyed the fighting: the kick, the rush of adrenalin, the power to hold someone's life in her hand. Of course while she fought there was no way to make a conscious decision about this. You won or you would die. Period.

It was afterwards, when she saw Gabrielle like this – miserable and sad – that she had second thoughts about this.

If only she could help Gabrielle, but she did not dare wrap her arms around her, kiss her swollen eyelids, stroke her hair and make her forget about the battlefield.

While Gabrielle was crying Xena drunk. On this occasion she chose a dark port, which almost made her tongue recoil from its bitterness. However, it did not make her feel better.

"Poor Gabrielle," she thought. She ordered a really good meal and made Gabrielle eat it. She fed her little pieces of meat with her fingers and eventually Gabrielle sat up and took a spoon to eat.

Xena was not hungry; she kept to her port, even though she could feel that the alcohol made her head light.

Gabrielle had cried her pain off. Now after dinner, she felt better. With a goblet of wine she washed away the rest of her sorrow, because deep down inside she knew that they had been fighting for a worthy cause. Until today there was no other way to go about these things. She had mourned the fallen and always would keep a memory of them in her mind.

And then her eyes fell on Xena.

Xena sat on the bench with her back rigid and downed another cup.

"How much?" Gabrielle thought, but she did not say it, for she knew that Xena was beyond talking. Instead she asked: "Where do we sleep?"

She knew that it would steady Xena to order somebody around and since there was nobody else available Gabrielle would volunteer.

And right so, Xena got up and showed Gabrielle to the sleeping quarters. She would see Gabrielle to her bed and than return to her port. Her companion demanded attention and she would never leave Gabrielle down.

Gabrielle sank onto the bed and whimpered. She pretended to be in pain, although the only pain she experienced at this moment was to see Xena in that state of mind. So she moaned again.

"What is it?" Xena sprang to assist her.

"Something hurts."

As expected Xena sat down on the narrow bed next to Gabrielle and checked her for any injuries.

"I can't see anything," Xena said.

Suddenly Gabrielle put her arms around Xena and held her tight. For a moment it felt like a clamp rather than like an embrace, because Xena tried to break free, but Gabrielle did not let go. And then Xena, the great warrior princess, put her forehead on her friends chest, wrapping her arms around Gabrielle.

Neither of them spoke, but Gabrielle could feel a drop of fluid rolling onto her skin, down her arm and then off it – a single tear that Xena had herself allowed to cry.

"The battle is over, Xena," said Gabrielle into her lovers dark hair, "You have done well."

**THE END**


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